


Hearth and Home

by PointlessJumpcut



Category: Muriel's Wedding (1994)
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-07 22:01:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5472236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PointlessJumpcut/pseuds/PointlessJumpcut
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rhonda and Muriel set up their new place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hearth and Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [edna_blackadder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/edna_blackadder/gifts).



Muriel smiled as she looked around the room, satisfaction painted large on his face. The tenement wasn't big, and it wasn't flash, but it definitely suited their purposes.

The doorways were wide, and there was plenty of space between all the furniture for a wheelchair to navigate around without trouble. Rhonda would never have an issue with bumping her legs or wheels on the couch or table or TV stand as long as Muriel had something to do with the decor in this place.

There were railings in place next to the toilet and bathtub and running along the ramp which led to their front door. All the shelves were low enough that Rhonda could reach whatever she might want independently. Muriel knew how much it granted on Rhonda that she had to ask Muriel to help her do everyday things.

The fact that it didn’t bother Muriel at all didn’t seem to rate on Rhonda’s radar, she was so busy being embarrassed. But Muriel would do anything for Rhonda. Anything.

Rhonda had saved her. Saved her from herself. From her nothing life. From her endless empty days and nights. Of no happiness but that which came when she played her ABBA records.

It was the least Muriel could do in return for Rhonda. She didn’t mind helping Rhonda do the shopping and get dressed and do her rehab exercises.

It didn’t come close to repaying her for her kindness, for her friendship, but Muriel didn’t think she could ever do anything that could properly repay Rhonda for seeing her worth when no one else did.

_“You’re not nothing, Muriel.”_

Muriel smiled. Sometimes, she still felt like nothing. Especially after her marriage crumbled so spectacularly – so publically – and she was back to square one.

But it was strange. Her biggest dream – to be married, to be someone’s wife, to be looked at by other women and envied – had blown up in her face. But Muriel had never felt so…free.

She was, finally, her own woman. In charge of her own destiny.

And it felt great.

>>>

Rhonda sat in the sun, enjoying the warmth on her face. She smiled as she looked at the front of their place. Their new home.

Their little place may not have been much on a world scale, but to her, it was perfect. For one thing, it had this little yard at the back, where they could sit together in peace, and enjoy the outdoors without prying eyes disturbing them.

Rhonda may have always been a social butterfly, but suddenly, she didn’t need the company of other people. She had Muriel, and that was more than enough.

_“I’m not alone, Tanya. I’m with Muriel.”_

Rhonda smirked at the memory of Tanya’s face, twisted into something uglier than usual by rage and confusion and embarrassment.

But she would have been mad to turn down the company of Muriel for the company of those bitches. Honestly, Rhonda had no idea how Muriel stood the company of those monsters for that long. They were cruel to each other, and endlessly cruel to Muriel.

Muriel. _Speak of the devil,_ Rhonda thought to herself as Muriel appeared in the doorway. She was smiling, radiant as she’d been on her wedding day. But so natural. Jeans. T-shirt. Old slippers falling apart at the seams along the toes.

“You hungry for lunch yet?” Muriel asked. “I can make you something if you’d like.”

Rhonda grinned. “You going all domestic on me, Heslop? If I’d known you’d cook for me, I’d have moved in with you while we still at school!”

Muriel laughed. “Well we’d starve if we had to live on your cooking!”

Rhonda nodded sagely. “True that. But I’m okay for the moment. Are you hungry?”

Muriel shook her head. “Not yet. But I think the lounge room is finally up to scratch. We might even be able to have visitors now, if you want?”

“You want visitors missing up our place?”

Muriel smiled. “No, not really. I’d rather just relax with you.”

Rhonda felt warmth rise in her chest, unbidden, unexpected.

“Would you like to see what I’ve done with the place?” Muriel asked, smile wide, hands on her hips.

Rhonda grinned. “Sure, I’d love to. Lead on, McDuff.”

>>>

The setting sun cast the lounge room in fiery shades of red and orange, and Rhonda knew long shadows would fall on the room through the large front window once night fell. The light caught on Muriel’s hair, making its colour flow and change as she spoke, animated, eyes alight with excitement.

Rhonda couldn’t help but smile at the sight. That inner fire Muriel never believed herself to possess, brought to the fore by the sun’s own rays, as Muriel told her stories.

So engrossed was she in the sight, it took a moment for Rhonda to realise that Muriel had fallen silent. Muriel was quiet, her face contemplative as she looked at Rhonda.

“What?” Rhonda asked.

“When I was setting up the lounge room today, I was thinking about how much my life has changed since that trip to Hibiscus Island,” Muriel said. Then she laughed. “I wouldn’t have believed that this would be my life when I got on that plane.

Rhonda frowned. She didn’t know what to say. Her pulse was racing, her heart was in her mouth. Is this when Muriel said she couldn’t do this anymore, and cast Rhonda aside like the burden she’d become since she’d landed in this stupid wheelchair?

“All I could think about was getting back in with those stupid girls, to be one of them, like that was the best thing I could have done,” Muriel said, unaware of Rhonda’s thoughts. “What a waste of time! And then I met you and everything changed.”

Rhonda swallowed.

Muriel looked at her, face serious. “You changed my life, Rhonda. So, so much. The girl I was wouldn’t believe where I am now.”

“Where is that?” Rhonda asked. She can hear the fear in her voice, the nerves. But she knew that Muriel would do this kindly. It was her way.

But Muriel only looked confused. “We’re in Sydney, Rhonda. Living the life! We have a place in the inner city and we have jobs and we go to cafes and to the markets and to the beach. We have fun! You don’t even mind when I play ABBA at full blast on our stereo!”

Rhonda laughed. “It makes you happy! Why would I give a shit if you play ABBA at any volume when I know you enjoy it so much?”

Muriel smiled. “No one’s ever not minded before. But I can be myself with you, Rhonda. I’ve never felt I could do that with anyone before, not even my own family.

“But you make me better. Stronger. Just being with you makes me feel like I can do anything, be anything. And that I can do that all just by being me. That I don’t have to cut my hair or lose weight or change my name. That all I have to be is me.”

Rhonda smiled. She felt warm all over.

In that moment, she knew that Muriel wasn’t going anywhere, that Muriel wouldn’t leave her. That Muriel would take care of her.

Rhonda also knew that she loved Muriel, more than she had ever loved anyone. She wondered if Muriel felt the same way…

But none of that mattered. Because Rhonda wasn’t alone. Not anymore.

She had Muriel, and that was more than enough.


End file.
